The “Omphalos” is the center of the world. Published in partnership with the Brookings Center for Middle East Policy, its blog, Markaz, and with Lawfare, AE’s blog, Omphalos takes an interdisciplinary look at the contemporary Middle East. Turmoil in the Middle East implicates a wide array of legal questions, bears huge cost for civilian populations, and poses diverse challenges to policymakers, lawyers, and reformers. For many of those seeking to understand of today’s world, the Middle East is the literally the center of the earth.”